Staff meetings,why have them?

Mary Louise Harbinger was the new director of Tiny Tots Day Care Center. She was feeling decidedly uncomfortable. Ten minutes before, her first staff meeting had begun. She now sat facing fifteen pairs of hostile, blank eyes placed on fifteen unsmiling, distrustful faces.Nora Palmer Gould is the director of Northen Dutchess Day Care Center, Inc., in Rhinebeck, N.Y.     

A good measure of safety

Each year, fifteen thousand children die from accidents—more than from cancer, congenital malformations, pneumonia, heart disease, meningitis, and homicide combined. As a day care center provider or a parent, you are responsible for the safety and well-being of children in your care. You need to know how to make your home safe for children and how to prevent accidents. Young children view things as interesting to taste or touch—not as safe or dangerous. Children do not even begin to understand the concept of danger until the age of two. Protecting them is your job. Annette Lubchenco is the principal writer for the Spoonful of Lovin'video series and its Manual for Day Care Providers.This article is excerpted from the Manualthat can be obtained from the Agency for Instructional Television, Box A, Bloomington, IN 47402.     

Single mothers in a parent group

At theX Day Care Center, in a New York City suburb, there was a group of single mothers, some separated from their husbands, others never married, who were confused and who were unsure about what they had to offer their children without a husband and father. In some cases this resulted in the mothers' general low self-regard and defensive attitudes, misperceptions, and unavailability to the communications about the children that customarily took place between the day care staff members and the mothers.Kenneth Schwarz is a Psychologist in Pound Ridge, NY     

Menus for toddlers in dau care: Part II

This is the second part of a fourpart series of articles that provide a total of four weeks' worth of menus for toddlers. In the first installment (Fall 1978) will be found the Basic Recipes for preparing Milk Plus, TVP, and Fruit Juice, as well as a general introduction to the format of these menus. Emily Herbert-Jackson managed the nutrition research project described here in her capacity as Research Associate in the Bureau of Child Research at the University of Kansas. She is now associated with Children's Behavioral Services, Reno, Nevada. Marion O'Brien is a writer for the Living Environments Group and has served as consultant to the toddler center in which the research was conducted. The authors wish especially to thank Kathy Erwin for her contribution to the development of these menus, as well as all the staff and children at the toddler center. The research described here was supported in large part by grant MC-R-200347 from the Office of Maternal and Child Health to the Bureau of Child Research and the Department of Human Development at the University of Kansas. The toddler day care program is fully deseribed in the bookThe Toddler Center: A Practical Guide to Day Care for One-and Two-Year-Olds, by Marion O'Brien, Jan Porterfield, Emily Herbert-Jackson, and Todd R. Risley (Baltimore: University Park Press, 1978).     

Have you heard of Robert Munsch?

Randa Roen Nachbar is the editor ofDay Care and Early Education. She is also a staff developer in the New York City Public Schools with the curriculum Resolving Conflict Creatively. She has read many Munsch stories to children.     

Menus for toddlers in day care: Part IV

This is the last part of a four-part series of articles that provide a total of four weeks' worth of menus for toddlers. In the first installment (Fall 1978) will be found the basic recipes for preparing Milk Plus, TVP, and Fruit Juice, as well as a general introduction to the format of these menus. Todd R. Risley is Professor of Human Development and Director of the Living Environments Group at the University of Kansas. Emily Herbert-Jackson managed the nutrition research project described here in her capacity as Research Associate in the Bureau of Child Research at the University of Kansas. She is now associated with Children's Behavioral Services, Reno, Nevada. Marion O'Brien is a writer for the Living Environments Group and has served as consultant to the toddler center in which the research was conducted. The authors wish especially to thank Kathy Erwin for her contribution to the development of these menus, as well as all the staff and children at the toddler center. The research described here was supported in large part by grant MC-R-200347 from the Office of Maternal and Child Health to the Bureau of Child Research and the Department of Human Development at the University of Kansas. The toddler day care program is fully described in the bookThe Toddler Center: A Practical Guide to Day Care for One- and Two-Year-Olds, by Marion O'Brien, Jan Porterfield, Emily Herbert-Jackson, and Todd R. Risley (Baltimore: University Park Press, 1978).     

Models of supervision in early childhood programs: Implications for training

Many child care directors inherit their role of supervisor without having had adequate training or experience. Given the wide disparity in the field with respect to staff preparation, child care directors, in their role as supervisors, are called on to develop, train, evaluate, and appraise child care workers on a daily basis. The literature in the field suggests that there are common threads among supervisory models in early childhood and that directors of child care programs can benefit from in-service training that specifically addresses their supervisory functions. “The most difficult part of my job as Director is trying to get my staff to change certain practices.” Director, Church Preschool Program “I don't feel comfortable with my role as evaluator; I guess I don't like telling people they're doing something wrong.” Director, Day Care Center     

How to cut the day care budget

Summary Cutting the day care budget is not easy. Most methods of rationing are costly, undesirable or unfeasible. Prioritizing is a better way of dealing with scarcity. A few private employers will help their employees with child care. Day care for the eighties needs more creative combinations of public with private sources of subsidy. This is most likely to happen if there is a central community mechanism such as a Central Intake, a 4-C (Community Coordinated Chid Care) agency, or a Resource and Referral Center. These can make it easy for employers to subsidize child care without becoming fully responsible for the total solution. They can combine public and private sources of subsidy to bring greater stability to the day care system at the community level. The best way to cut the public budget is to spend the public dollar in ways that tend to encourage community-wide solutions.Gwen G. Morgan is Coordinator of Seminars in Day Care Administration at Wheelock College in Boston, Massachusetts and is Chairperson of the Social Policy Committee of the Day Care Council of America.     

Training day care program personnel in handling child abuse cases: intervention and prevention outcomes

Attempts have been made to provide day care services as part of a treatment plan and these services are also used as a preventive strategy. Day Care programs have the potential for providing growth experiences, supportive adult role models, and modeling parental skills in an atmosphere of understanding, respect and trust. There is a need, however, for day care professionals and paraprofessionals who come into contact with children to recognize problems of child abuse and neglect and to develop skills to deal with the range of inherent problems. A report on a training program for day care workers is presented in this article. A survey involving 84 day care programs in southeastern Pennsylvania was conducted and comparisons of intervention and prevention activities of two groups: those programs whose staff participated in the training and those whose staff did not, were made. Assessment of intervention activities shows that there is no difference between the groups. However, analysis of prevention activities shows that day care workers in the trained group were significantly more involved in prevention and high risk referral.     

What do parents want from day care services? Perspectives from Australia

A total of 100 parents in 15 Day Care (DC) in Sydney, Australia were surveyed to obtain their views about the different roles of care and education in DC services. Both parents with children under 3 years old and parents with children 3 and above expected a substantial component of education in their child’s DC program. Both groups of parents expected both care and education for their children, and expected a reasonable level of professionalism and qualifications in the staff. These results challenge assumptions about care for infants and education for older children. Policy makers need to attend to parents’ needs and wishes and should be aware of the important value of human resources investment through improved DC services.     

Learning set-ups

A child reaching toddler stage is ready to learn about the basic shapes that comprise much of his/her world. With an accent on fun, here are some simple activities designed to teach children how to identify and distinguish between the shapes ... of things to come! Doris Allen is a career teacher in early childhood education. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Oswego Community Day Care center, and has co-authored an article on handwriting in the current edition of theBook of Knowledge. Angela Collins is currently a kindergarten teacher in an Open Education program based on the British Primary System model, and during the summers directs remedial reading programs.     

Family day care: Where it's at-updated New York City

Almost five years ago, (November 1974)Day Care and Early Education surveyed the state of family day care in a series of four articles entitled “Family Day Care: Where It's At.” In one of these articles, Betti Whaley, then Commissioner of the New York City Agency for Child Development, reported on that city's system for serving working mothers and providing children with the best possible home care. The following article on the present situation in New York City, and several others to appear in future issues, will provide an update on what has happened in family day care around the country since 1974, review the pros and cons of this type of day care, and consider prospects for the future. Stephen Ruffins is Director of Family Day Care (FDC) for the New York City Agency for Child Development (ACD). Carabelle McNeill is Director of Social Service/Parent Involvement at ACD From 1972 to 1975, Ms. McNeill, as ACDFDC Liason, coordinated the transfer and integration of each of the three FDC programs into the administrative aegis of ACD.     

The good preschool teacher

Randa Roen Nachbar taught young children in New York City for many years. She is the editor of Day Care and Early Educationand is an advocate for children and early education professionals.     

Thresholds of Quality: Implications for the Social Development of Children in Center-based Child Care

We assessed the quality of center child care relationships with adults and peers for 414 children (ages 14 to 54 months). Classrooms were classified by ratio and group size provisions of the Federal Interagency Day Care Requirements (FIDCR) and by the Early Childhood and Infant and Toddler Environmental Rating Scales. Children cared for in classrooms meeting FIDCR ratios were more likely to be in classrooms rated as good or very good in caregiving and activities. Children in classrooms rated as good or very good in caregiving were more likely to be securely attached to teachers. Securely attached children were more competent with peers. Children cared for in classrooms meeting FIDCR group size were more likely to be in classrooms rated higher in activities. Children in classrooms rated high in activities were likely to orient to both adults and peers. Children with social orientations to adults and peers were more competent with peers.     

Menus for toddlers in Day Care: Part I

In this and the next three issues of Day Care and Early Education,we will provide a total of four weeks' worth of menus for toddlers. Some findings of the Living Environments Group at the University of Kansas were described in the last issue (“Facts and Fancies about Children's Foods,” by Marion O'Brien). This installment's introductory section explains how the menus were developed and how the recipes can be used. Additional advice and information will be included with the future sections. Tood R. Risley is Professor of Human Development and Director of the Living Environments Group at the University of Kansas. Emily Herbert-Jackson managed the nutrition research project described here in her capacity as Research Associate in the Bureau of Child Research at the University of Kansas. She is now associated with Children's Behavioral Services, Reno, Nevada. Marion O'Brien is a writer for the Living Environments Group. The authors wish especially to thank Kathy Erwin for her contribution to the development of these menus, as well as all the staff and children at the Toddler Center.     

A parent-teacher conference: Interpreting Margaret Mahler

Dr. Margaret A. Mahler is a leading child psychiatrist whose theory of the psychologica birth of the human being has been influential for many years. According to Mahler, the physical birth of the infant does not coincide with the psychological birth.William Ayers is the Educational Director of BJ's Kids Day Care Community in New York City.     

挪威学前教育的《日间护养机构的框架计划》

挪威学前教育的《日间护养机构的框架计划》对于我国《幼儿园教育指导纲要(试行)》的解读和贯彻实施具有重要的借鉴意义。该框架计划可分为三个主要的部分:第一部分是“总论”,提出了日间护养机构的工作目标和基本原则。第二部分是“内容——学习和体验的领域”。第三部分是关于“计划的运用”。本文重点讨论了第二部分,即日间护养机构的工作内容。在此基础上,本文提出了该框架计划的启示意义。     

Family day care: State of the art

While public emphasis in the past was on the development of center-based child care, many working parents today remain reluctant to put their infants and preschoolers into formal day care settings. Since the majority of these parents cannot afford to have full-time sitters come into their homes, neighborhood homes have sprung up in which someoneprefers to stay at home to care for the children of others, who can then go out to work. Thus, the growth of family day care.Mary Clurman is Program Coordinator for Apple Pie Family Day Care, Essex County, NJ, and Employee Child Care Consultant to Muhlenberg Hospital, Plainfield, NJ.     

新形势下政工队伍建设的几点思考

本文通过对开滦员工健康保障中心政工队伍中存在的问题进行分析,结合实际提出了加强政工队伍建设的一些做法和措施,以供大家交流。     

Sensitive periods in the development of attachment and the age of entry into day care

This study investigated how the age of entry into regular group day care may influence, in the context of other relevant variables, some short-time outcomes of this experience. In particular the study focused on behaviours expressing well-being or discomfort in the day care environment during the third year. Subjects were 129 young children who were enrolled in group day care when they were 6–29 months old. During their third year their social behaviour was evaluated by caregivers with the Day Care Adaptation Scale. Researchers observed 54 of the children in reunion with their parents. The quality of care was rated with the ITERS scale. It was found that children who started day care in the intervals 6–12 months and 18–23 months displayed more frequently difficult reunions with their mothers, and were rated as less resistant to frustration. Children who started day care from 12–17 months showed lower relational distress. Some significant relationships were found between the ratings of ITERS and the Day Care Adaptation Scale. These findings are discussed with reference to theories of attachment.